The Past Catches Up
by apple.tree7
Summary: Who is the new coworker at Marukawa Shoten's Emerald Department?  Ritsu & Takano. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

The woman standing before Takano Masamune was a person one would most likely consider very attractive. However, her 'attractiveness' wasn't merely due to her fair and clear skin, nor was it because of her good taste in clothes—a professional form-fitting cream-colored skirt, ruffled white blouse, matching cream-colored blazer, and cute black flats. Indeed, her 'attractiveness' was due mostly to the fact that this woman was a 164cm-tall pillar of radiance and self-confidence.

She beamed at Takano while he shifted through a stack of papers.

"You say you've had prior experience in editing shoujo manga?"

"Yes! Before coming to Marukawa Shoten, I was in charge of many shoujo mangaka, including the prominent Shinagawa Yumi!"

Takano smiled. So she wouldn't be useless after all.

...

While Takano was getting acquainted with newcomer Sakuragi Tomoko, Onodera Ritsu was struggling up the stairs with a pile—no, a skyscraper—of manuscripts.

"Why did the elevator have to break?," he thought. "Or more like, why am I the ONLY one hauling ass in carrying these manuscripts?"

After what seemed like one long trek up a mountain, Ritsu finally managed to get the manuscripts to Emerald's Editing Department.

"Yo, Ricchan~! Just in time to meet our new editor!" exclaimed Kisa Shouta, in his usual cheery self.

Ritsu carried the manuscripts to Takano's desk, where he set them down, readying himself to greet and introduce himself to his new colleague.

"What took you so long? About time you brought all these up here," Takano said, beginning to shift through the papers. "By the way, Onodera, this is Sakuragi Tomoko. She will be working from here on."

"Ah! Ritsu?"

Ritsu took a glance at his new colleague and immediately his expression changed from one of irritation (from Takano's insinuations that he was deliberately slow) to one of surprise at seeing a familiar face.

"Eh? Sakuragi-san?"

Smiling, Sakuragi replied, "Nee ~ guess we'll be working together again, won't we? Please take care of me."

A smile began to play across Ritsu's lips as he told her he would. He had always liked Sakuragi-san for her kindness and self-confidence. She was a strong woman whose optimism could turn anyone's frown into a smile.

...

However, she didn't seem to have this effect on Takano. His smile quickly became a frown as he noticed the unusual warmth Ritsu regarded her with.

As the long day at work drew to a close, Sakuragi-san approached Ritsu just as he was preparing to leave. Surprisingly, Takano had assigned him a light load of work—well, light compared to the usual—and Ritsu was planning on going straight home, perhaps finally getting around to folding and putting away the mountain of clean clothes that currently consumed his entire bed.

"Ritsu! Are you off right now?"

"Ah! Yes. Thanks for your hard work, Sakuragi-san! Did everything go well on your first day here at Emerald?"

"Yes, everything went well and I learned a lot. Listen, do you want to stop by at the small restaurant down the street? Catch up on old times?

"Eh! Ah…sure…why not?" Uneasily, Ritsu looked towards Takano's desk,

hoping he hadn't overheard Sakuragi-san's invitation. Or that he wouldn't get the wrong idea about them if he had happened to overhear. He was able to breathe a short sigh of relief when he noticed his boss's desk was empty, but immediately an avalanche of self-arguing and excuses began to fill his mind. 'Wait! Why should I be concerned whether he misunderstands the situation or not? After all…it's not like we're…dating…I mean sure, sometimes we do…_stuff _together…but that doesn't mean anything! We're healthy men after all! There's times when one just has to do it! An outlet! AUGHHH, WHY AM I EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS?'

"Eeeeeh? Ricchan ~ you're bright red!,", said Kisa, knowing full well that his pointing it out would further exacerbate his colleague's blushing. Which it did.

As Ritsu's face became hotter and turned a deeper red than anyone could have thought possible, the same thought ran through Kisa's, Mino Kanade's, and Hatori Yoshiyuki's mind: "Such amusing reactions."

After regaining a bit of his composure, Ritsu and Sakuragi said their goodbyes and excused themselves as they headed out. Ritsu kept an eye out for Takano, half-hoping to catch a glimpse of him before he left. As they exited the publishing house, Ritsu let out another sigh—this one being one of slight disappointment at not being able to see Takano before heading out.

...

"I'm telling you, there's definitely something going on between them!" Kisa was saying excitedly.

These were the words Takano heard upon reentering the office, canned coffee in hand, fresh from the vending machine in the lobby. He scanned the room, noticing that Ritsu and the new colleague had taken their leave first. Hatori, being his usual composed and stoic self, was quietly packing up his stuff to call it a day, while Mino did more or less the same, in addition to actively listening to Kisa.

"Well, there is _that_ rumor going around…" replied Mino.

"Eh? What rumor?" asked Kisa, taking the bait; he did, after all, have a slight guilty pleasure for listening to work gossip.

"Hmm…Should I tell you? Or should I not?"

While Mino teased Kisa by withholding whatever rumor it was he had heard earlier, Takano began packing his stuff, deciding to head out as well. Perhaps when he arrived at his apartment, he would stop by Ritsu's and subtly ask him what he thought of their new colleague.

"Don't be like that Mino! C'mon, just tell me. We ARE friends, aren't we?"

Feeling he should interject, Hatori said, "Seems like Onodera and Sakuragi-san worked together back when Onodera edited literature at the other company."

"Ah, but that's not all," said Mino. "I heard that the two were once what you'd call boyfriend and girlfriend."

...

"Ehhh? So you left Onodera Publishing to work in shoujo manga to prove to your old colleagues you're capable and competent at your work?"

The restaurant Ritsu and Sakuragi went to after work was small but comfortable, with a sort of calming atmosphere. They were nibbling on their appetizers and waiting for their second round of beers. In response, to his colleague's question, Ritsu nodded.

"AHAHAHAH! That is definitely something you would do, Ritsu! Oh man, glad to see your personality is more or less the same."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Sakuragi kept chuckling.

"Geez, you make it sound as if my venturing out of my comfort zone to prove myself is a bad thing."

"No, it's not that. It's just…you've always had this way of going at your own pace or marching to the beat of your own drum…once you decide on something, you tend to rush into your plan of action..."

"I, I do? Well, I mean, I guess…I kinda see what you mean," Ritsu quietly stammered.

A tender smile appeared on Sakuragi's face. "But I guess that's what I liked about you."

"EH? Er…ah…thanks, Sakuragi-san."

As Sakuragi observed Ritsu's face, she noticed a shade of crimson begin to slightly spread across his face. Her smile deepened—she thought he had always been so easy to read.

"Mmmm…say, Ritsu…why don't we give it another try? A relationship, I mean?"


	2. Chapter 2

Note: This fanfiction is based on Nakamura Shungiku's _Sekaiichi Hatsukoi_. It's meant to take place after the most recent chapter up to date (Chapter 11, I think). It's my first fanfic, so I apologize if it's a bit choppy/ awkward.

...

It really did bother him. Takano stepped out of the lift and made his way towards his apartment door. As he fished his keys out of the pocket of his jacket, Mino's words came to mind. "_The two were once what you'd call boyfriend and girlfriend_."

'Well, it shouldn't be a surprise. It's no news that Onodera had a girlfriend in the past…' Takano was pulled from his thoughts as he looked to his left at the door of Ritsu's apartment. He knocked on his neighbor's door, even though he knew he would not receive an answer. He had heard that Ritsu and Sakuragi left together and intended to go out for dinner. Sudden unease and twinges of jealousy crept up within him. 'Onodera…what are you going to do?' With that thought on his mind, Takano turned to his own apartment and let himself in.

...

"EH! Umm…Sakuragi-san, you…you can't be serious?"

"And why wouldn't I be serious, Ritsu? After all, we did get along pretty well back then didn't we? I remember how you would wait for me after work to go out to dinner much like we're doing now." Sakuragi-san was looking at Ritsu with such sincerity that he almost felt bad for not being able to return her feelings.

"Umm, Sakuragi-san…"

"Didn't I tell you before, Ritsu? Call me Tomoko."

"Er…Tomoko…san…umm." A flashback of rejecting An-chan's confession suddenly came to Ritsu's mind. He hated turning people down, especially when it was possible they would cry. "_It's because you keep being half-assedly nice to her that she cannot give up." _Takano's words played through his mind. 'I have to say it clearly—let her know that I…have feelings for someone else.'

"Well you see..." began Ritsu. 'Why is this so damn hard?' he thought, 'I'm never going to put myself in a situation like this again! I won't go out if I have too!' He wasn't serious, of course, but berating himself and thinking in such a manner made him feel better.

"I like…", Ritsu tried again, but faltered when he saw the look of anticipation and tenderness on Sakuragi's face. 'I have to tell her now, or...' he thought.

"Sakura-er, Tomoko-san, I'm...flattered, but-"

Suddenly, Sakuragi-san burst out laughing while pointing at a very flustered and shocked Onodera. "HAHAHA…Oh Ritsu. I mean it—you REALLY are the same as you were back then. Of course I'm not serious about us getting back together."

"EHHHH?" Ritsu uttered for the millionth time. After picking his jaw off the floor, Ritsu asked, "Wait. So you weren't serious?"

"Of course not! I'd be insane if I did want to get back together with you!"

"Thanks for that. Really," replied Ritsu. He had forgotten that Sakuragi-san did often like to joke around and constantly teased him, similar to the way a sibling would tease another.

"Oh—don't take it the wrong way! I just mean that…well, y'know, you always kept to yourself, even when we were dating. You never talked about your past and the times you talked about your future were just as infrequent. It was as if you were off in your own tiny universe, indifferent to nearly every thing else except your work…It constantly made me feel uneasy… like there was no possibility for growth in our relationship…"

His ex's explanation made Ritsu feel like crap. 'Was I really that self-absorbed and uninterested?' he thought to himself.

Noticing the sudden change in her ex's facial expression, Sakuragi-san said, "Don't worry about it. Being with you wasn't bad at all. It just _obviously _didn't work out."

"I'm sorry, Sakuragi-san."

"It's Tomoko."

"Ah! Tomoko-san…"

Ritsu was beginning to drift off into his own little world, taking in all that Sakuragi-san had just told him. Sakuragi became aware that Ritsu was becoming quiet and that there was the possibility the current situation would become awkward.

"You're doing it again, Onodera-kun. Drifting off into that little world of yours…Nee~ remember that _one_ night in September? Right after we went out to celebrate with Saeki-san?"

Ritsu turned beet red. Of course he remembered. It was the one and only night, he and Sakuragi-san had slept together. Well, almost slept together. Suddenly, a flashback came to Ritsu's mind—stumbling in his old apartment (she had insisted she come over), the awkward fumbling of trying to meet each other's lips (she was an aggressive kisser), and the even more awkward situation of stripping off each other's clothes (she initiated the undressing). That night it had taken Ritsu a while to get an erection and when he finally achieved in making his member stiff, it quickly became limp as soon as he entered her. Needless to say, the rest of that night was awkward with Sakuragi-san trying to comfort him for not being able to finish (if it could even be considered a _start_.)

Sakuragi-san laughed once again at Ritsu's blushing face and decided she had her fill of teasing him. Changing the subject, she asked, "Say, Ritsu, where do you live now?"

…

Ritsu groaned. This morning he was carrying a pile of manuscripts; this evening he was basically carrying his drunken old flame. At least the elevator wasn't broken this time. After the second round of beers at the restaurant, Sakuragi had four more and the result was Ritsu having to calm her down as she ranted about how much she hated her job in relation to how much she loved it. Sakuragi's nearly belligerent ramblings were reminiscent of Saeki-san's drunken rantings—the two women were very close friends, after all. When it was time to go home, Sakuragi-san insisted on seeing Ritsu's apartment with such persistence that he couldn't say no.

"So thish ish where you live, huh Ritsuuu? A nice, clean, and shnazzy apartment complex…"

"Um, it's not really all that…I think…"

"What're chu talkin' 'bout? Iz a nice, quiet place…No bothershome neighbors makin' a racket when you're tryin' to work or lingering in the halllll *hic* when you're late for work…"

Without meaning to, Ritsu looked towards Takano's door. A lack of noise from inside indicated that Takano was either out or doing some kind of quiet activity.

"I'm pretty sure I've got bothersome neighbors here as well, Sakuragi-san."

"Ugh…Ritsu, I feel siiiick. I'm gonna. * hic * Puke."

"EH? Ah, hold on a sec, let me open my door and then you can use the bathroom to puke to your heart's content."

Ritsu began fumbling with his keys, trying to find the one to his apartment while supporting Sakuragi, since it seemed she had lost nearly all her will-power to continue standing.

"I'll open the door faster if you'll please stand up straight, Sakuragi-san!"

"Mmmmm…thaz okay. We can just shleep here…Lemme sleep here!"

As Sakuragi put all her weight on Ritsu, wanting to resign herself to slumber, both lost their balance and ended up on the floor, with Ritsu pinned underneath his drunk colleague's body. Just then the elevator doors opened.

"Next time you should let me know some time in advance."

"It's not my fault it was short-notice, Masamune."

It was Takano and Yokozawa who had come out of the elevator.

Seeing Ritsu sprawled on the floor in the hallway with his new coworker was quite a bit of a shock for Takano. He froze for about a few seconds, but without losing his appearance of composure, he walked to his apartment door and opened it, without a glance in Onodera's direction.

Yokozawa, equally shocked yet not prone to hiding it, asked in a particularly nasty manner, "What are you doing, Onodera?"

"Let him be, Yokozawa." And with only those words, Takano let Yokozawa inside his apartment, leaving a perplexed Ritsu outside in the hallway with his drunk coworker on his lap.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: Sorry for taking a long time to update! I appreciate the reviews. Here's the third part, based on Nakamura Shungiku's _Sekaiichi Hatsukoi-Onodera Ritsu no Baai. _**IT'S FOR MATURE READERS!**_  
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...

As soon as the two men entered Takano's apartment, a silence befell them. Yokozawa watched Takano as he quietly removed his shoes. It had been nearly three months since Yokozawa was last rejected, and just very recently he'd begun to feel comfortable around Takano outside of work hours. Well, comfortable wasn't exactly the right word. It was a bit more like the situation was no longer unbearably uncomfortable.

"Oi. Masamune," Yokozawa said holding out the plastic bags he'd brought.

Takano turned to look at him. "Hm? Oh you can just put that over there," he said pointing to a chair in the living room. "But I'll take that," he said as he gestured towards the carrier Yokozawa was holding.

As Takano reached out for the carrier, Yokozawa gently placed it on the floor and pulled Takano by the wrist towards him.

"Even then…even _now_...as he brings someone else to his apartment late at night...you still want to stay with him?" Yokozawa whispered as he embraced Takano's body. He didn't even know what drove him to do so. He still had feelings for this man, but after the harsh words of rejection he heard a few months ago, he thought he would refrain from any unnecessary gestures.

Strangely enough, Takano didn't immediately push him off. Instead he let his coworker hold him for a bit longer, then he slowly pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

...

"What the hell's up with that? Why is Yokozawa-san visiting…so late?" This question was slowly beginning to eat at Ritsu.

After he managed to pick himself and Sakuragi off the floor, he pretty much dragged his coworker's unconscious body to the couch. He grabbed her a glass of water which he placed on the coffee table in front of the couch, in case she was thirsty, and grabbed a garbage can which he placed next to the couch, in case she wanted to throw up.

'Maybe Yokozawa-san is at Takano-san's due to something work related. It's likely, I mean, Yokozawa said he wouldn't go after Takano-san anymore…right? He told me not to hurt him…' Ritsu began pacing back and forth. He didn't know whether he should wait a bit then go over to Takano's and maybe find out why Yokozawa had been there so late or whether he should wait until the next day at work to try and find out. 'After all,' he thought, 'it's none of my business if Takano-san has a visitor… I have Sakuragi-san visiting me…' He looked at his passed out coworker as he remembered the scene in the hallway:

The ding of the elevator as it opened.

His apartment keys on the floor.

The startled look on both Takano and Yokozawa's faces.

His drunken ex on his lap.

'They… didn't get the wrong idea, did they? I mean…its ridiculous…it was obvious that she had fallen and that I brought her here because she's nearly blacked-out drunk. A misunderstanding from this situation is only something that occurs in shoujo manga…'

No matter how much Ritsu tried to make himself feel more at ease by reasoning out the situation, he was still bothered.

...

"Masamune…" Yokozawa was looking at him with a pained expression. A pained expression that Takano had come to know so well. Takano continued to look at the man who had been there for him in the past. Yokozawa was a good person to be around. Takano did enjoy being with him. The two had shared many interesting conversations with each other and plenty of laughs. But that was it. Takano still couldn't feel anything more for this man.

After being with him for so long, Yokozawa recognized the look in Takano's eyes. It was a gaze that he'd come to know so well. It was the same gaze Takano always gave him, when he was sure of something—mainly his attraction and love for Onodera.

Sighing, Yokozawa said "Listen, Masamune, I'll be back in about 4-5 days. I'll pick up Sorata then," he said as he gestured to the carrier.

Yokozawa turned around and headed towards the door.

"Yokozawa, thank you. Have a safe trip…"

Yokozawa opened the door and glanced one last time at Takano. He sighed again, shook his head, and uttered, "Idiot."

After Yokozawa left, Takano let out a heave of relief. He opened the pet carrier and stuck his hand out to his old cat. "Tsk, tsk. Come. Come out…"

Sorata came out of his carrier and allowed his former owner to pick him up. Takano stroked his fur a bit then walked over to the door to look out into the hallway. Yokozawa was gone and there was no noise coming out of Ritsu's room. He thought about taking a walk but decided to stay at home with the cat instead.

...

After a while, Ritsu thought he heard the door next door close.

'Maybe Yokozawa's leaving?' Ritsu walked over to the door and was about to peek outside, when from behind him, he heard a crash. He turned around and saw that Sakuragi had knocked over a mini-portable radio onto the floor as she made her way towards the bathroom.

"Ah! Sakuragi-san! Are you okay?"

"Ughhhh. Need to puuuuuuukeeeee."

"That's why I put the garbage can next to the couch!"

"Thaz okay, I can make it to the toileeeetttt."

And indeed she did make it to the toilet, where she proceeded to spend the next hour and half, head in the opening of the cold porcelain, with Ritsu holding her hair and patting her back.

It was late by the time he'd gotten her to sleep. He helped her tie her hair, found an old shirt of his for her to wear since she had soiled the blouse she wore earlier, waited about 15 minutes outside the bathroom as she changed shirts, spent another 25 minutes trying to convince her to call it a night, then spent 25 more minutes trying to convince her to sleep on the couch. After much negotiating with this drunkard, she ended up passing out on his bed ("I can't shleep on the shofa. Iz not comfortable enough") and he ended up laying down exhausted on the couch. The busy day, the evening drinks, and the babysitting had certainly taken a lot out of him.

As Ritsu sat on the couch, he thought about Takano again. He was sure he'd heard his neighbor's door closing, implying that perhaps Yokozawa did leave after all. With these thoughts in mind, Ritsu drifted off to sleep.

...

The next morning, Takano had risen early. He was not in the best of moods and decided to leave for work after he fed the cat.

Once he was out in the hallway, he glanced at his neighbor's closed door. He decided to knock on Ritsu's door and order him to come to work early with him. 'After all,' he thought, 'he slacked off yesterday when he left early to go out with his ex-girlfriend. He can make it up today. I'll make sure he gets an earful when he opens his door.'

However, the person who opened Ritsu's apartment door was not Ritsu.

"Eh? Takano-san? What are you doing here?" asked Sakuragi.

Takano stood dumbfounded. His mouth was slightly agape as he stared at the woman who had appeared so likable and tastefully dressed the day before. He noticed that she was wearing what must have been Ritsu's clothing, which implied she had spent the night. Today she was not dressed fashionably or professionally. Nor was she likable.

"Eh? Oh! I'm sorry, I sound so rude. Please excuse me, Takano-san! Should I go wake up Ritsu?"

Takano focused on keeping a neutral face and replied, "I'm here because I live next door to Onodera and I expect him to show up to work early since he's been falling behind. Please let him know to come in as soon as he wakes up."

"I'll definitely let him know…Say, do you want to come in for coffee? I'm pretty sure he won't mind if we use his coffeemaker."

"That won't be necessary, " Takano replied and started towards the elevator.

'Eh…unusual,' thought Sakuragi as she closed the door and made her way to the bathroom to prepare for work.

...

Ritsu arrived at work exhausted and with his head throbbing. His body was sluggish and stiff, his coordination was a bit off, and he felt as if he could barely walk. Sakuragi, on the other hand, was her peppy self, despite being blacked-out drunk the night before.

Ritsu staggered to his desk and was greeted by a new stack of work to complete for the day. He glared over at Takano's desk, but to his surprise, his boss was not there. It wasn't until later in the evening that Takano finally made his appearance. He had been attending a work meeting and came back to his desk in a less-than-pleasant mood. On the contrary, the other workers lightened up a bit when he came in. Kisa had finally finished a considerably challenging task and turned to Ritsu.

"Nee, Ricchan, how was your date last night?"

"It wasn't a date. Just dinner."

"Oh, I see…by the way, just out of curiosity…I hope I don't come off as rude, but people have been saying you and Sakuragi-san have..._known_ each other for a while. Must be nice to have an old coworker back."

Ritsu smiled tensely. He thought that while it was nice to have an old friend like Sakuragi-san as his coworker, the incident last night reminded him that it was also tiring, especially if she wanted to make outings like those a weekly habit.

"So…it was just dinner at that restaurant across the street? How is that place anyway?" Kisa inquired.

Before Ritsu could have a chance to answer Kisa's question, Sakuragi-san had come up behind them, taking the liberty to answer for him.

"Oh, it was a really nice place—good ambience, good food, fantastic drinks! Afterwards, I was so stuffed and tipsy that Ritsu let me spend the night at his apartment."

"Oh, really?" Mino chimed in.

"Yea, I even got to sleep in his bed," Sakuragi-san said, grinning mischievously.

"Ohhh, is that right, Ricchan? I thought it was _just_ dinner."

"It was just dinner! Sakuragi-san—"

"Ritsu, I told you it's Tomoko; no need to be so formal."

"—she was not sober, I slept on—"

At that moment, Takano, who had been overhearing the conversation, slammed the stack of proposals he had been reading through on his desk. The others became quiet and quickly returned to work, except for Ritsu, who began to worry. What if his boss got the wrong idea after all?

Takano made his way to the door of the office and vanished around the corner. As he passed by Ritsu's desk, Onodera noticed that he looked extremely irritated. His mouth was twisted into a scowl and his gaze seemed hard and distant.

'Crap! He must've overheard!...Maybe (hopefully) it was something that happened at the meeting?' Ritsu decided to follow after Takano. Maybe after talking to him a bit, he would find out what had made his boss so upset.

Ritsu made his way to the hall and saw the tall, black-haired man he was pursuing make his way into the bathroom at the end of the corridor. Once he was outside the bathroom door, Ritsu thought about what he could say to Takano. Perhaps he could comment on the heavy loads of work they both had or on how nice the weather was. No, those comments would sound too trivial, too contrived. Perhaps he could casually ask if he had late-night work the night before or ask if Yokozawa had come by to help him with something. No, those questions might be too weird to ask.

He pushed open the door and saw Takano looking in the mirror, little water droplets making their way down his face. Takano saw Ritsu through the mirror's reflection and grabbed a paper towel to dry his face and hands before going back to work.

"Err…Takano-san," began Ritsu, but he didn't know what to say. However, in this situation, he didn't need to say anything.

"So she spent the night in your bed. Good for you." Takano's words were tainted with subdued anger and a hint of bitterness. "Did you hold her as you fell asleep? Tell her you wanted to rekindle the relationship you once had?"

"No! That's…! She was drunk! She slept in my bed, while—" Ritsu was interrupted yet again.

"Hm? So you didn't tell her that. Perhaps you told her you've slept with me before on that same bed? Or maybe you told her that you whimpered underneath me as I drove into you?"

Ritsu turned bright red.

Takano disposed of the paper towel he had used to dry his face and hands and walked past Onodera to the bathroom door.

"Wait! Takano-san! You've got it wrong! I slept on the sofa! I let Sakuragi-san sleep over because she wasn't in the safest of conditions to go home by herself! Nothing else happened, I swear!

Takano turned to his subordinate, whose face was still flushed, and replied, "How about after this? Weren't you two a couple before? Do you think she wouldn't maybe entertain the idea that there might be some chance of you two getting back together? She invites you to dinner, sleeps in your old clothes, calls you by your first name, and insists you do the same. You really are dense!"

"There's no way she still likes me! She said so herself last night that she would never get back together with me! I wouldn't want to either!"

Takano looked at Ritsu with one of his cold speculating gazes and told him to get back to work.

"No! Why do you always misunderstand? I'm telling you nothing happened. And you're in no position to talk. Yokozawa-san went to your apartment last night!"

"Yokozawa was there to drop off Sorata. He's going to a business-related trip for a few days and needed someone to look after the cat. _I,_ at least, didn't let him spend the night in my bed, wearing my clothes."

At hearing this information, Ritsu felt a vague sense of relief. He was relieved that Yokozawa had been at Takano's apartment on a somewhat business-related occasion. Yet, the situation at hand seemed as it was nowhere close to being resolved.

"Look, I had no choice! Sakuragi-san could've really hurt herself if she went home in her state…"

"And so what?" Takano responded.

"Eh?"

"I said, 'And so what?' If she did spend the night in your apartment because there was no way around it, now that you've clarified this with me, what do you want me to say? 'Good job for looking out for your ex?' Listen, just get back to work."

Without thinking, Ritsu blurted out, "The one I like isn't her…"

Once again, Takano turned his full attention to his subordinate.

"So, stop getting the wrong idea that I like her. We went out for a short while but I felt nothing for her during that time. By dating her, I was trying to…to get over you…"

Takano didn't respond.

"…stop misunderstanding…the one I like…love…is…"

At that moment Ritsu's confession had to be cut short. The two heard footsteps quickly approaching outside the bathroom, and Ritsu quickly found himself being shoved into the stall at the end of the restroom.

"Say when's your deadline?" asked an unknown voice.

The person he was talking to began washing his hands, so his answer was inaudible to the two men in the last bathroom stall, who only heard the rush of water.

In the stall, Takano had Ritsu pushed against the wall. Whispering into his ear, he said, "Continue what you were saying outside."

"Not now, Takano-san!"

Shoving his thigh between his subordinate's legs, Takano repeated his command into Ritsu's ear.

"St—Stop that!," Ritsu exclaimed in hushed tones, while trying to put some distance between himself and Takano.

Takano punished Ritsu's struggles to push him off as well as his disobedience by biting his ear and grinding his leg into his crotch. "Now, what was it you were saying outside?"

Ritsu had no choice but to listen to him. He felt his temperature rising in addition to a certain body part. "I…like…"

Takano continued grindng his leg into Ritsu's crotch, feeling his subordinate's stiff member. His hands began to roam on Onodera's torso, feeling his nipples stiffen as he rubbed them in a circular motion.

"Who do you like?" asked Takano, trying to keep composed, which was becoming increasingly difficult. The two were completely lost in what they were doing that they didn't notice the other two men leave the restroom.

"Ta—Takano..san…" Burying his face into his boss's neck, Ritsu held on tighly to Takano's back and tried to keep his breathing as natural as he could, though to no avail. His breath became ragged and he knew Takano could feel it on his neck.

"Mmmm…why don't you prove it?" asked Takano as he guided Onodera's hand to his waist, to that area between his legs.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Once again, sorry for taking a long time to update—been super busy with work and stuff. I recently found time to catch up in the series (yay~ for _Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai_!) and was inspired to continue this. I do appreciate the reviews. Here's the fourth part, based on Nakamura Shungiku's _Sekaiichi Hatsukoi-Onodera Ritsu no Baai_. **IT'S FOR MATURE READERS!** (By the way, this part was really awkward for me to write—I learned it's a lot more awkward to write smut than it is to read it.)

...

"Mmmm…why don't you prove it?" asked Takano as he guided Onodera's hand to his waist, to that area between his legs.

Hesitant, Onodera pressed his hand over the layer of fabric that separated the flesh of his palm and the flesh of his coworker's cock.

"You're doing it wrong," Takano chuckled. "You have to put your hand inside," he said as he guided Ritsu's hand to his belt.

Ritsu clumsily and hesitantly fumbled with the belt, but only for a second. Slowly and uneasily, he began to stroke his boss' member, while feeling a slight throbbing in his own.

Noticing that his erection must be a bit painful for him, Takano eased his own hand to Ritsu's pants, where he undid the button and began to glide his hand on his member.

"Ah—No…St-stop…We're…at work." It took Ritsu quite a bit of willpower to spit it out.

"Do you really want me to stop?" Takano asked as he suddenly stopped jerking his coworker off.

Suddenly Ritsu wished he hadn't said anything. A sensation of discomfort mingled with pleasure kindled deep inside him. The fervor intensified and he yearned for release. He yearned for Takano to not only continue with his hand, but for him to enter him as well. Unsure of what to say, he bit his lower lip. Takano noticed and smirked, but he was set on not letting him off the hook so easily.

His fingers gently caressed the tip of Ritsu's penis, which kept him burning for more.

"Shit," Ritsu uttered. He knew that he was being teased.

"What's wrong?" Takano asked, his smirk still in place.

He knew what was wrong.

He knew his lover wanted him to continue gliding his hand on his penis. He knew his lover wanted him to strip off his pants completely, lift up his hips, and thrust into him. But he wasn't going to do any of that-unless he was asked to.

Ritsu's arousal and discomfort was steadily igniting. His face was burning and he was still biting his lip, intent on not imploring his boss to continue. He felt Takano's cock pressed hard against him, still stiff and aching for release. Ritsu had become so consumed by his own sexual excitement that he had forgotten to touch him.

Impatient for his partner's response, Takano slightly squeezed Ritsu's member. His doing so made it unbearable for Onodera and he moaned. Digging his finger's into Takano's back, Ritsu quietly pleaded.

"Please…don't…"

Although it was only two words, Takano understood his subordinate's plea and, using his hand, soon brought him to climax.

Breathing deeply, Ritsu still clutched to Takano's shirt, his warm, hazy breath tickling his boss's neck.

"Idiot. Stop seducing me."

Trying to avoid gazing into his senpai's face, Ritsu looked down, only to see his boss' member still hard. His face turned a darker shade of crimson.

'I…can't just…leave him like that,' he thought.

Once again, he slowly worked his fingers around Takano's member, but was stopped.

"It's too late for that. Because I had to wait, you have to use your lips." Takano whispered into his kouhai's ear. He knew Ritsu wouldn't do it, but he still felt content from seeing him turn the deepest shade of red he'd ever seen.

Yet what Ritsu did next was unexpected. Yes, he did turn the deepest shade of red in the world, but he also got down on his knees and without hesitating he worked his tongue on his boss's penis. Takano felt nothing but the warmth and wetness of Ritsu's mouth enveloping him. He closed his eyes and felt frenzied waves of bliss surge throughout his whole body.

"I—I'm going to come." Yet despite Takano's warning, Ritsu didn't pull back. Instead he kept tonguing his coworker until he elicited a slight groan and a warm, sticky fluid filled his mouth. He swallowed and immediately put the back of his palm to his lips. He was so embarrassed, he wanted to melt into the ground.

Panting, Takano met Onodera's gaze in disbelief. Ritsu had never done anything like that, and quite honestly, he never expected him to.

"Well…We should go back! They're gonna wonder why we took so long and…and then—" Onodera sputtered as he glowed with embarrassment.

"If they ask, we'll just tell them the truth."

"ARE YOU CRAZY?"

"Perhaps," Takano replied coolly as he zipped up his pants. He ruffled his kouhai's hair before making his way to the restroom door. Just as he was about to leave, he changed his mind, made his way back to his coworker, who was washing his hands at the sink, and pulled him into a long, deep kiss.

…

As both men entered the office, Takano was no longer emitting any sort of frightening, keep-away vibes while Ritsu looked very flustered and a bit disheveled.

"What took you guys?" asked Sakuragi, holding a red pen and looking up from a storyboard.

"Yea, where were you two? Someone from the literature department just told Mino-san that he was on this floor's restroom washing his hands when he heard weird sounds coming out of one of the stalls! We were thinking about checking it out to see if anything was wrong," exclaimed Kisa.

"Nee~ Kisa-chan, and what if it's a ghost?" asked Sakuragi, a little smile playing out on her lips.

"It could be," Mino mused.

"Maybe it's the ghost of a stressed-out manga editor who just had too many notorious authors who didn't meet their deadlines," replied Hatori as he intently glared at his e-mail where a recent message from a certain childhood friend regarding a potential deadline—the possibility of not being able to meet it, to be specific—was displayed on his screen.

"But really now, where were you two?" Sakuragi asked once again.


End file.
